He offers practical, tailored in-person and online counselling and psychotherapy for individuals, couples and groups in the areas of addiction, sex/relationship matters, chemsex, self-esteem and body image, anxiety, depression, existential issues and more.HIV is spread through blood, pre-seminal fluids, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk. Justin Duwe is an award winning psychologist, sexologist and author working in a private practice in Central London. I am convinced that a life filled with positive choices which who we really are and what matters most to us is the secret to living well. They have less relationship drama and enjoy life more. On many occasions, when I see my patients makes choices that reflect the values that matter most to them, they report feeling better. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool. Gay men need to know that traditional morals and values are not incompatible with modern gay life. He eventually reached the conclusion that allowing himself to knowingly become infected with HIV was against his values of health, honesty and safety. We spoke about this dilemma, his values and morals. I spoke with the man who wondered if he should go to the conversion party for several more sessions over many weeks. They feel as if being ‘traditional’ or ‘conservative’ is wrong, and feel judged for their sexual preferences. They don’t feel as if they belong to the gay community. There has been a steady stream of men coming in and out of my office for years who feel lost in their lives. There is a serious issue with the type of messages that gay men are subjected to today. with the assistance of a skilled psychologist.Ĭonversion parties are just one of the many symptoms of the growing problem within the gay community I hear about in my office daily. There are healthier ways to deal with these issues, i.e. People attend these events because they don’t fully understand their subconscious motivations and thoughts that lead to this destructive life-altering choice. Conversion parties are not about having a great time, but are a product of poor education, low self-esteem and a lack of insight into oneself. I believe there is a problem with any culture in which conversion parties take place, or which feels they are something to celebrate. I don’t have this fear because I am lost at what to do, but I am afraid because their asking these questions reflects a deeper problem within our gay culture. Sometimes my patients come to me with questions about love, relationships and modern gay life which scare me. However, there are some men who still desire to become infected with HIV despite the known health risks and methods available such as PrEP to help reduce the chance of HIV transmission.
A wish to feel closer and to understand people who have HIV better.Other motivations for intentional HIV infection include: They include: meaning, choice, freedom, death anxiety, and existential isolation. These issues affect human beings at both a conscious and subconscious level. I found the reasons for intentional HIV infection are many, but largely center around existential issues. My research into this area yielded interesting results. I can confidently write that not everyone who desires to become infected with HIV is suffering from an identified mental disorder, though some certainly do. My research resulted in a shift in my perspective. I admit when I first started to research this issue that I thought anyone who would do this must be crazy. I have previously done research into ‘bug chasing’ (intentionally seeking to become infected with HIV) and conversion parties (an event designed to infect a HIV neg man with HIV by other HIV positive men). Recently, a young man came to see me for issues around a conversion party he was invited to. Some of the hardest tasks I face are dealing with the complexities of the often-irrational human mind and the complicated cases that stem from them. I love my job, but like any job it does come with challenges.
Most days you can find me working in my central London office helping my patients with a variety of complex mental health, sexual and relationship issues. Surprisingly, I instead grew up to become an openly gay psychologist and sexologist. When I think about my past, it amazes me I didn’t end up a drug addict or patient in a psych ward.